Last Modified: Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at 11:26 p.m.

At a meeting short on specifics, it became clear that why Principal Justin Matthews' departure was part of an eleventh-hour settlement last week that kept the school's advisory board intact and lowered administrative fees from 12 percent to 8 percent would remain a mystery.

ARCHIVE PHOTO / 2013

But at a meeting short on specifics, it became clear that why Principal Justin Matthews' departure was part of an eleventh-hour settlement last week that kept the school's advisory board intact and lowered administrative fees from 12 percent to 8 percent would remain a mystery.

Parents weren't having it.

Executive Vice President of Florida Imagine Schools Rod Sasse emerged from the audience to help a regional director accused of dodging a question.

Grandparent Michelle Oakley, fed up with a lack of clarity on Matthews' departure, shouted "corporate crap," and was met with cheers.

And several parents seemed to resist Sasse's declaration that the success of schools does not rely on one administrator.

"There are parents here that took their kids out of schools because of one man," said Ray Loewe, who transferred his two girls from the Imagine School in Palmer Ranch because of the stability and success of the North Port school, started five years ago by Matthews.

The meeting started with an awkward acknowledgment, as Matthews apologized for disrupting and confusing parents and staff when he and the local board of Imagine School attempted to secede from their parent company and were promptly sued by the Arlington, Va.-based Imagine Schools for breach of contract and defamation earlier this year.

Then Matthews stepped back and avoided looking at the crowd as Sasse and regional director Chris Watson attempted to answer questions to a pool of parents who grew more agitated by the minute.

"I don't think they sufficiently answered a single question," said Stephen Hudek after the meeting. "Why did Mr. Matthews have to leave? It seems vindictive."

His son, Cameron, said that students have kept up with the controversy, and are sorry to see Matthews go.

"We were following it better than any basketball game," said Cameron, who went to Matthews for help when he was bullied in elementary school. "He was like a personal friend."

Matthews will finish the year at the Imagine School and a transition team, led by Watson and made up of current administrators, will conduct a national search for a new principal for the school of about 1,100 students.

Officials said that the planned expansion to 12th grade for the school that serves kindergarten through 10th graders and a gymnasium project have been unaffected by the turmoil.

But most parents said they were disappointed with what they perceived as a lack of accountability and clarity on the corporate company's role in school finances and the recent mediation that led to Matthews' exit. Part of Matthews' original issue with the parent company were administrative fees that he said were funneled back to the corporate office and totaled more than $1 million for a school with a $10 million budget.

"I still have questions about them saying that the governing board had the ability to change their rates the whole time, "said Scott Reynolds, the parent of a fifth-grader. "If he says we're in it totally for the kids, and they are a non-profit, then why aren't they lowering it on their own?"

Halfway through the meeting, Sasse, who said the board had never asked the company to lower its fees, was met with some contention as parents questioned corporate finances and the use of the administrative fee.

"You don't know where all that 12 percent which is now 8 percent goes," Sasse said, raising his voice slightly. "We have attorneys. We have finance people that are doing things all the time. It's not just what you see every day at this school."

<p><em>NORTH PORT</em> - With their principal ousted in a recent mediation, the crowd of Imagine School parents that gathered Tuesday to learn the future of the North Port charter school wanted answers.</p><p>But at a meeting short on specifics, it became clear that why Principal Justin Matthews' departure was part of an eleventh-hour settlement last week that kept the school's advisory board intact and lowered administrative fees from 12 percent to 8 percent would remain a mystery. </p><p>Parents weren't having it.</p><p>Executive Vice President of Florida Imagine Schools Rod Sasse emerged from the audience to help a regional director accused of dodging a question.</p><p>Grandparent Michelle Oakley, fed up with a lack of clarity on Matthews' departure, shouted "corporate crap," and was met with cheers.</p><p>And several parents seemed to resist Sasse's declaration that the success of schools does not rely on one administrator.</p><p>"There are parents here that took their kids out of schools because of one man," said Ray Loewe, who transferred his two girls from the Imagine School in Palmer Ranch because of the stability and success of the North Port school, started five years ago by Matthews.</p><p>The meeting started with an awkward acknowledgment, as Matthews apologized for disrupting and confusing parents and staff when he and the local board of Imagine School attempted to secede from their parent company and were promptly sued by the Arlington, Va.-based Imagine Schools for breach of contract and defamation earlier this year.</p><p>Then Matthews stepped back and avoided looking at the crowd as Sasse and regional director Chris Watson attempted to answer questions to a pool of parents who grew more agitated by the minute.</p><p>"I don't think they sufficiently answered a single question," said Stephen Hudek after the meeting. "Why did Mr. Matthews have to leave? It seems vindictive."</p><p>His son, Cameron, said that students have kept up with the controversy, and are sorry to see Matthews go.</p><p>"We were following it better than any basketball game," said Cameron, who went to Matthews for help when he was bullied in elementary school. "He was like a personal friend."</p><p>Matthews will finish the year at the Imagine School and a transition team, led by Watson and made up of current administrators, will conduct a national search for a new principal for the school of about 1,100 students.</p><p>Officials said that the planned expansion to 12th grade for the school that serves kindergarten through 10th graders and a gymnasium project have been unaffected by the turmoil.</p><p>But most parents said they were disappointed with what they perceived as a lack of accountability and clarity on the corporate company's role in school finances and the recent mediation that led to Matthews' exit. Part of Matthews' original issue with the parent company were administrative fees that he said were funneled back to the corporate office and totaled more than $1 million for a school with a $10 million budget.</p><p>"I still have questions about them saying that the governing board had the ability to change their rates the whole time, "said Scott Reynolds, the parent of a fifth-grader. "If he says we're in it totally for the kids, and they are a non-profit, then why aren't they lowering it on their own?"</p><p>Halfway through the meeting, Sasse, who said the board had never asked the company to lower its fees, was met with some contention as parents questioned corporate finances and the use of the administrative fee. </p><p>"You don't know where all that 12 percent which is now 8 percent goes," Sasse said, raising his voice slightly. "We have attorneys. We have finance people that are doing things all the time. It's not just what you see every day at this school."</p><p>For most parents, that seemed to be the point.</p>